April 2019 - Voluntary Action LeicesterShire

Following this, VAL helped draw up appropriate charitable objectives, adapting the model-governing document to incorporate the rules of Bowls England, helped with the committee’s decision making to agree to this change of structure, and supported the club to apply as a registered charity. This included reviewing policies and procedures relevant to the application questions.

Applications to the charity commission usually take at least 12 weeks to be approved, however due to VAL’s help and the work of the Club’s trustees, the application was approved by the charity commission within 7 days.

The club’s charitable objective is to provide opportunities for participation and healthy recreation for the inhabitants of their local area by providing facilities for playing bowls.

The club’s next step will be to contact their landlord with the news of their new status, which they hope will lead to an agreement of a long-term lease. As a previously unincorporated body, they were unable to sign such a lease in the club’s name.

The Quorn Mills Park Bowling Club chairman said:

“Our direction and potential development has really been enhanced by becoming a registered charity. VAL’s support along the way has been invaluable, as it will continue to be as we move into uncharted, but exciting, waters.”

They have some preliminary plans for expanding the club’s premises as they continue to grow; early season indications show a 25% increase in membership over the last 2 years. They are hoping their charitable status might help them to review potential sources of part funding.

Club Update

“I am pleased to say the lease arrangement has been working very satisfactorily. The fact that we are a charity and holders of a long lease has made a big difference to our position with regards to grants – we have managed to secure some very useful grants from Sport England and Charnwood Council which has really helped us get through Covid so far. We are in the process of organising Gift Aid on members subscriptions and are actively involving ourselves in “Easyfunding” (via Sport Leicester). Plans for clubhouse development have been a bit on hold due to Covid, but we are beginning to see the light again now and will be reviewing our plans over the next few months.”

The main base for VALUES is at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL). VAL created VALUES in 1998 for a handful of people, and twenty years on they now support over 120 clients to take part in over 100 activities each week, with over 30 full or part-time staff and volunteers.

The service is paid for through Personal Budgets, so each VALUES client has a choice over which activities they want to do. Activities could include anything from cooking skills to travel training or learning to play a musical instrument in the VALUES band, and clients have access to the same support worker each week.

The new base includes conveniences like onsite parking and large disabled toilets, and the onsite gardens and hair salon will offer exciting new activities for VALUES clients to get involved in. Clients will also have the chance to mix with the residents of the retirement village and have fun playing bingo or singing around the piano!

Mikaela Paterson, VALUES Team Manager, said:

“We’re really excited that Danbury Gardens has offered for us to use their fantastic facilities for our new VALUES base.

This is a great opportunity for us to offer new activities not only to our new clients, but hopefully to offer our support to even more people across Leicester who struggled to get to our main offices.

We’d love to meet anyone who’s interested in joining VALUES, or even just wants to find out what we do, so come along on the 10th of April to see what support we can offer. And there’s free tea and cake too!”

The launch event is open to anyone who wants to come along and see what VALUES does.